Six Feet from the Edge
by triangles
Summary: Ulysses spoke of a post-war town in Hopeville, before the Courier did whatever it was that they had done to the land. The town was labeled the Divide beforehand. This was the Couriers home, their birthplace. This is a brief history of the once was, and a glimpse of the what now. There will be light romance, but like way later.


_I just would love to see a backstory for the Divide and i dont think anyone on here has done one so i'm doing one now. i hope it's good._

"Fiel! Fiel wait up please!"

The young woman stopped where she was, a smile on her face as she looked down on the small child running towards her. A slight breeze blew through the crumbled buildings, blowing crimson air around her sharp face. "What is it May?"

The young girl stopped at her heels, blushing in embarrassment from being so close to the young woman. "I uh…I was just wondering if I could go into that camp with you, they have sweets."

The young woman laughed. "Honey you know you can't come with me."

May's blushed deepened. "I'm sorry for asking."

Fiel smiled kindly and crouched down, the shorts she wore creaking as they stretched. "Honey it's ok, you just go on. I see your mother looking for you."

May looked over her shoulder, seeing an older woman, gray hair tied loosely in a bun on the nape of her neck, weaving her head around frantically. She carried a large pack on her back and was hunched. When she saw young May in front of Fiel her worn face sagged into relief then turned stern and she started toward the pair with determination in her eyes. May hid behind Fiel, but she just chuckled and moved so that the young girl was visible for her mother.

"May! I have been looking for you everywhere! I'm sorry Fiel, she wasn't any trouble was she?" the haggard woman tugged on May's arm.

Fiel waved a hand. "It's fine really, she was just wondering if she could come to the NCR camp with me. I said no of course."

The woman paled and looked down to her daughter. "Why on earth would you want to go over there?"

May picked at her nails. "I just wanted some of the candy I saw one of the soldiers eating is all."

Fiel tensed up slightly, back going ridged and fingers curling into fits. She took a deep breath, relaxing herself, and crouched back down to May's height. The child looked up with wide blue eyes. "How bout this May, when I go over there I will make sure to get you as many pieces of candy as I can afford huh? But you have to promise me that'll you'll stop running off from your mother, does that sound fair?"

My nodded, chewing on one knuckle. "I guess so…" her face grew gravelly serious. "But you better not forget about my candy!"

Fiel nodded and stood straight again, shuffling the pack on her shoulder. "Now you two need to get home, it's almost dark and you know how the Tunnelers love the dark."

May's mother nodded. "Of course, but are you sure you're going to be ok dear?"

Fiel nodded, taking the flare gun from her waist bag. "I got my flares, I'm good. Now seriously you guys, hurry up and don't worry about me. Don't forget to check in with the NCR sentry at the Crow's Nest."

The mother nodded. "Of course dear."

Fiel watched them start towards the High Road and sighed, turning back to her path. She didn't want to go through everything she was going to have to go through, but she had to do it. traveling was in her blood, it was just an urge that she could never quell. She didn't know where she got it from, maybe her father. She didn't know her father though, and her mother never liked to talk about it, so there was no way to pinpoint the urge. She knew her mother hated to travel, she hadn't left Fiel's home town of Divide since she was born and that was bout seventeen years ago.

"State your name and business," one of the NCR soldiers, a new recruit obviously, confronted her at the gate entering the camp.

Fiel raised an eyebrow, looking past him to see a ghoulified General Martin Retslaf conversing with a few of his soldier. His eyes flickered towards her for a moment, moved back to his soldiers and then looked towards her completely, sighing and shaking his head as he walked towards us. The soldiers he had been talking to noticed and began to snicker, making Fiel chuckle and move her heavy pack around. It was more of a sack, but she would take what she could get nowadays.

"Excuse me soldier, why are you giving the young Miss Fiel troubles?"

The soldiers back went ramrod straight. "Well I uh…I didn't know who she was."

"Now what other name could such a beautiful young woman have other than that?" Martin winked and Fiel blushed a little, ruffling her hair.

"You are too kind, Martin." She almost whispered.

Martin laughed. "Oh please, that is my pleasure. Now soldier let her through, Fiel follow me I have a task for you that I wish for you to complete." The general waved at her, signaling for her to follow him.

She nodded at the soldier and followed as instructed, waving at a few of the soldiers as she passed. They whistled through their teeth at her but she just kept walking, thinking about the candy she was promising young May. The general weaved her and himself around the hoards of soldier preparing for attacks and just doing labor around the camp. They were attacked by what they called the Legion about a month ago and they were still trying to rebuild. They had superior weapons, the Legion had simple pistols and swords while they had laser rifles and sniper rifles, yet they were suffering the hardest blows.

The general held open the flap to his tent and Fiel ducked beneath his arm, stepping into the tent and smiling at the few people she knew here well enough to call them by name. "Fiel!"

She waved. "Hey guys, Margeret."

The woman nodded, face hard as iron, and went back to drawing out her maps, snapping her fingers at the young soldier Ralph. He winked at Fiel and went back to work, helping the aged woman finish her maps. General Martin pointed to his desk in the far corner and Fiel nodded, weaving in and out of the soldiers while he stopped to speak with each and every one of the soldiers piled in his tent. Finally he came to sit in front of her and sighed, rubbing his forehead. Fiel could see the skin move like fabric across his forehead.

"Fiel we want you to travel west, pick up the device a faction of ours has found in the remains of an old army camp. The say it may be our ticket to ending this war with the Legion."

Fiel nodded. "Alright, let me go tell my mom and everything, I'll leave in roughly two hours is that ok?"

The general nodded. "That's fine."

She nodded again and left the tent, standing in front of it for a long time before she started towards the mess hall. Inside were soldiers laughing and almost having a mini food fight at one long table. When they saw her a few smirked, some smiled boasting smiles while others were genuinely kind, nodding in approval of her. She nodded back the few times it happened and then smiled at the man behind one long table stacked with MRE's and other boxed food.

"Hello Clarence."

He looked over the ridge of his glasses and smiled as well. "Hey Fiel, what are you doing here?"

"I need some candy if you have any."

His face drew a blank. "Candy?"

She nodded. "Yeah, it's for a young girl named May that lives up on the High Road."

He nodded. "Ah, well here's what I have."

He dropped a few pieces of cracked colorful balls into a small paper pouch and handed it to Fiel. She raised it for a moment before she tucked it away in her pocket. "Thank you, she'll be so happy with this."

Clarence smiled sheepishly. "Why are you in camp today Fiel? You got supplies the other day."

She nodded. "Well I got a request from one of the NCR Ranger's near my home and he said I was needed for a task by General Retslaf."

"Oh, well what was the task?"

She shrugged. "I don't really understand it, I'll let you know when I get back."

She smiled tenderly and left, none the wiser.


End file.
